3rd Generation Biofuel Algae

As known as Oilgae as well, is being considered to be the third generation biofuel. Its production is low cost and high yield, almost 30 times more energy production per acre as compared to the land required by other conventional feedstock to produce biofuels. At present researches are being conducted by Alga culture (farming Algae) to produce different fuels to harvest for making vegetable oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethanol, biobutanol and other biofuels and it seems if the methodology is sustainable than other available biofuels then using algae to produce bio diesel would be the only viable method to replace the need of gasoline used for automotive today. Biofuels are considered to be the best way to reduce green house gas emissions and alternate to the pollutant fossil fuels. But recently, according to Nobel Laureate Paul Cortzen findings, some of the most commonly used biofuels Bioethanol from corn and bio diesel from rapeseed releases Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is contributing much more to the global warming than the fossil fuels are contributing right now. Processing of biofuel form algae has been tested that it captures large amounts of CO2 and N2O available in the atmosphere( 40% in a course of full day and 80% in sunny days) and an acre of algae can produce enough oil to make 5,000 gallons of biodiesel in a year. According to my point of view biodiesel and bio ethanol from rapeseed and corn is not only adding to global warming but economically it cannot be sustainable because its one of the main sources of edible oil. Ethanol demand can threaten the food prices. A recent study conducted by Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University reveled that considering the high-price crude oil scenario, U.S. ethanol production could reach 30 billion gallons by 2016, consuming more than half of U.S. corn, wheat and other coarse grain production and triggering higher meat prices for consumers, reduced production across-the-board for all segments of the meat sector, and even greater reductions in grain and meat exports. Taking in review the sustainability and economic factor biofuel from Alga culture seems to be most promising fuel for future.

Plastic Bags

Israel is the newest among the line of countries who are taking measures to eradicate or at least reduce the use of plastic bags. Word is that a bill has been introduced in Israel under which customers will now pay a charge for every plastic bag they will consume at the supper marker, this bill is similar to the one introduced in china late last year. This environment friendly chain reaction started from San Francisco, followed by Hong Kong, Melbourne, and then adopted by china and Israel.

The Bay’s board of supervisors of San Francisco approved the legislation under which use of 180 million plastic bags being used per annum were banned in all supper markets, by late 2007 and at pharmacies by early 2008. The problem was even more complicate in Hong Kong where 8 million plastic bags are dumped every year which is 3 bags per person a day. The total eradication program in Hong Kong will work in phases, first hyper marts, chains and retailers are suppose to charge USA6 cents a bag which is alone expected to cut the use to half by the end of 2008. Money earned through this charge will be utilized in the second phase through funds allocation to environment recovery projects and for educating people and indulging them into environmental friendly activities.

Melbourne has been active for reducing the use of plastic bags. In fact the Australian environment Minster Peter Garrett in an interview to a local newspaper stated that there are some four billion of these plastic bags floating around the place, getting into landfill, ending up affecting our wildlife, and showing up on our beaches while we are on holidays. A levy of 10 cents each bag consumed at the super markets has already has been imposed.

If the current pace of efforts for reducing plastic bag use continues on national levels allover the world, we might be able to find lesser number of these never wearing down bag on our roads, and chocking our drains. This will bring a significant reduction of petroleum thinning for manufacturing plastic bags.

Renewable energy

Utilization of natural resources such as sunlight, wind, water and biomass to fulfill our energy need in such an efficient manner that it dose not damage the delicate environmental balance is called renewable energy.
Simplest possible example can be that of biogas generation, Biogas is considered to be a source of renewable energy. This is because the production of biogas depends on the supply of grass, which usually grows back each year. By comparison, the natural gas used in most of our homes is not considered a form of renewable energy. Natural gas formed from the fossilized remains of plants and animals-a process that took millions of years. These resources do not “grow back” in a time scale that is meaningful for humans.
With our ever increasing human race and its limited resources it is important for us to work in a consistent manner to create a world that fulfills its energy needs through resources that are not destined to drain out like fossil fuel.

Renewable energy technologies are sometimes criticized for being unreliable or unsightly, yet the market is growing for many forms of renewable energy. Wind power has a worldwide installed capacity of 74,223 MW and is widely used in several European countries and the USA.The manufacturing output of the photovoltaic industry reached more than 2,000 MW per year in 2006, and PV power plants are particularly popular in Germany. Solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 MW SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert. The world's largest geothermal power installation is The Geysers in California, with a rated capacity of 750 MW. Brazil has one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 18 percent of the country's automotive fuel. Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA.
The majority of renewable energy technologies are directly or indirectly powered by the sun. The Earth-Atmosphere system is in equilibrium such that heat radiation into space is equal to incoming solar radiation, the resulting level of energy within the Earth-Atmosphere system can roughly be described as the Earth's "climate." The hydrosphere (water) absorbs a major fraction of the incoming radiation. Most radiation is absorbed at low latitudes around the equator, but this energy is dissipated around the globe in the form of winds and ocean currents. Wave motion may play a role in the process of transferring mechanical energy between the atmosphere and the ocean through wind stress.Solar energy is also responsible for the distribution of precipitation which is tapped by hydroelectric projects, and for the growth of plants used to create biofuels.
Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, as the International Energy Agency explains:
"Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydro power, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.Each of these sources has unique characteristics which influence how and where they are used. All in all it should be our utmost responsibility to work steadily to enhance the chances of producing the world which fulfil its energy needs through environment friendly renewable resources.